A New York man will spend over two decades in prison for killing a passenger in a vehicle that mistakenly drove into his driveway.
Washington County Judge Adam Michelini sentenced Kevin Monahan, 66, to 25 years in prison for the shooting death of Kaylin Gillis, 20. Within a few hours, Monahan was found guilty and convicted by a jury of second-degree murder, reckless endangerment, and tampering.
“Any remorse you have isn’t for the harm you’ve caused. The only regret you have is that you’re finally facing the consequences for your actions. You murdered Kaylin Gillis. You shot at a car full of people and you didn’t care what would happen and you repeatedly lied about it. You deserve to spend the maximum time in prison allowable under our law, and I don’t make this decision because it’s easy. I make it because it’s what’s deserved. I make it because it’s what’s just,” said Michelini during the sentencing hearing, according to CNN.
On April 15, 2023, officers responded to a 911 distress call about 5 miles from the defendant’s home, a few miles from Albany, New York, about an unresponsive shooting victim. Upon their arrival, first responders attempted to revive Gillis, but she was declared dead at the scene. According to prosecutors, the victim and her friends in a convoy of two cars and a motorbike had gotten lost while looking for the location of a party.
Next, they mistakenly drove into Monahan’s driveway in the rural part of Hebron. Soon, they realized they were at the wrong address. As soon as they pulled away in her boyfriend’s Ford Explorer, Monahan exited his home with a 20-gauge shotgun and fired at them twice. The second shot fatally struck Gillis.
During the trial, the defendant testified that the shooting was accidental after he felt threatened and thought they were blocking his entrance. Furthermore, he told the jury the first shot had been a warning shot, while he accidentally tripped over a nail, causing the second shot to strike the victim.
The jury didn’t believe him!
“It’s obvious to me that you feel justified. You don’t take any responsibility for the outcome of your actions. You just don’t get it,” said the judge, reported Times Union.
Michelini sentenced Monahan to four consecutive years for the tampering with evidence charge, while he was ordered to serve seven years concurrently for the reckless endangerment charge.
Leave a Reply